- Ashes Series Begins with a Thrilling Opening Day
- England Sets Impressive Total with Root’s Century and Bairstow’s Support
- Root’s Return to Form and Promising Start for the Ashes
The first day of this Ashes series was a ripper, with a packed Edgbaston witnessing an enthralling arm-wrestle between England and Australia, a magnificent century from Joe Root, and the latest aggressive declaration from Ben Stokes.
If this is any indication of what’s to come, those pre-game predictions of a classic matchup may have been understated.
following four overs, Australia was 14 without loss following a 20-minute test against the new ball. England reached 393 for eight in 78 overs after Stokes won the toss on a flat pitch.
Convention indicated proceeding, but Stokes and England’s head coach Brendon McCullum do not follow convention.
Their players went on the offensive after Zak Crawley hit the first delivery of the series for four. Even though it took Root’s unbeaten 118 from 152 balls – his 30th Test century – to prevent a derailment.
Jonny Bairstow hit 78 runs at one per delivery in a 121-run sixth-wicket stand with Joe Root, who showed class. After lunch, the two youngsters reversed the previous score of 175 for five and had the ground positively erupting. Nevertheless, with David Warner and Usman Khawaja holding firm before stumps and Saturday’s weather forecasted to be favorable, Australia will perceive an opportunity to respond with a massive score.
This was a gloriously sunny day in south Birmingham, with spectators pouring through the gates in time for the grandeur, ceremony, and fireworks that precede a modern Ashes series. After a solemn moment of reflection for the victims of the recent attack in Nottingham and the playing of the national anthems, the latest addition to the list of famous Ashe’s first balls was bowled.
Crawley leaning into a half-volley from Pat Cummins and sending it careening along the immaculate outfield to the cover boundary produced a unique sound.
Stokes sat on the England balcony, gaping, while 25,000 spectators applauded and laughed. This was a significantly different statement than Rory Burns’ first-ball miscue 18 months ago.
An engrossing first session in which the hosts scored at a rate of 4.65 runs per over was a divergence from some of their recent performances, with 12 fours struck and 54 singles snatched along the way. Australia, it was immediately apparent, had devised a strategy to disrupt the hosts, with Cummins employing three boundary riders from the onset and sticking to this strategy for the majority of the day.
Had the visitors first blinked? Cummins stated that he would not depart from the strategies that earned him the World Test Championship. Mitchell Starc, whose dismissal of Burns last time set the tone, remained on the sidelines as the team adapted to its unconventional opponents.
Scott Boland’s noon dismissal of Crawley for 61 exonerated them. Australia met the challenge of Bazball in an enterprising manner. Despite the bowling figures appearing exhausted by the end and a few dropped catches along the way.
Boland, who ended Crawley’s bright start with one of the few deliveries that did anything all day – a lifter that was gloved behind – nonetheless endured the first humiliating day of his late-blooming career, and had a difficult start.
The Victorian conceded 61 runs in 14 overs and was the first batsman reverse-scooped by Root for six.
Josh Hazlewood, who supplanted Mitchell Starc, was the best seamer and the only one to bowl a maiden. His early dismissal of Ben Duckett for 12 also gave Alex Carey the first of five dismissals behind the wickets. Before Ollie Pope missed a straight delivery from Lyon to be adjudged lbw on review after a busy 31-ball innings.
Lyon’s four wickets were well-earned despite conceding 149 runs in 29 overs. Harry Brook was bowled for 32 after lunch when the ball kicked off the surface, ballooned off his thigh pad, and – after being momentarily lost by everyone – landed and spun onto the stumps. This was the most bizarre of the wickets.
When Stokes gave Hazlewood a second by driving loosely behind for one, England risked losing their toss-winning advantage. Root was in rhythm and Bairstow emerged from No. 7 to play a typically tenacious hand. This is their eleventh-century partnership in Test cricket, once again combining wing-heeled sprinting with elegance.
Root had to guide the tail after Bairstow and Moeen Ali tumbled after tea. And secure a valuable first Ashes century since the 2015 series.
The much-anticipated Ashes contest has begun, as the player who replaced Root is doing things differently. And the player who struggled to balance captaincy is back in action.
